ROCK HILL, SC - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina has designated Piedmont Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery. Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery are part of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s expansion of its Blue Distinction® designation.

“Blue Distinction puts a high value on research and evidence-based health and medical information,” said Allan Korn, MD, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Chief Medical Officer. “Blue Distinction Centers show our commitment to working with doctors and hospitals in communities across the country to identify leading institutions that meet clinically validated quality standards and deliver better overall outcomes in patient care.”

The selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed with input from a panel of expert physicians. To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery, the following types of criteria were evaluated. Get more information on selection criteria.

. Established acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care, emergency care, and a full range of patient support services with full accreditation by a CMS-deemed national accreditation organization

. Experience and training of program surgeons, including case volume

. Quality management programs, including surgical checklists as well as tracking and evaluation of clinical outcomes and process of care

. Multi-disciplinary clinical pathways and teams to coordinate and streamline care, including transitions of care

. Shared decision making and preoperative patient education.

The Blue Distinction designation is awarded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacement, spine surgery and transplants. The program is part of The Blues® efforts to collaborate with physicians and medical facilities to improve the overall quality and safety of specialty care.

The additional Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery designation will bring the nation’s number of Blue Distinction designations to more than 1,600—and this number is expected to increase in the coming years.

Note: Designation as Blue Distinction Centers means these facilities’ overall experience and aggregate data met objective criteria established in collaboration with expert clinicians’ and leading professional organizations’ recommendations. Individual outcomes may vary. To find out which services are covered under your policy at any facilities, please call your local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield Plan.